Artist: Soilwork
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 5/6/03
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Title: Figure Number Five Artist: Soilwork Label: Nuclear Blast Release Date: 5/6/03 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Reviewing a Soilwork album, at least in the last few years, has been an exercise in patience for me. I find myself frantically searching for my inner unbiased judge of character, so I can make a fair review. You see, I don't like Soilwork anymore. I think each album since the impressive Chainheart Machine has been an increasing disappointment. But at the same time, I can't say that they're a bad band. Well, I actually say it all the time - If I'm drinking in a bar and someone says that they like Soilwork, I usually respond with something like, "Soilwork sucks!" but it seems an exaggeration to say they're a shitty band. I just feel a bit betrayed by their endless courting of the mainstream, and, oh yeah, the fact that their last few albums have been annoying.
"It seems Soilwork achieved what In Flames was striving for. Of course, that doesn't mean it's good." The Soilwork sound has devolved even more toward mainstream pap on their latest release. It seems that In Flames' Reroute to Remain made a lasting impression on these gentlemen, because this album seems to be trying to achieve the same style and feel. However, this album is far more successful than In Flames'. Reroute to Remain was poor execution of a bad idea. Figure Number Five is good execution of that same bad idea. What I'm saying is that it seems Soilwork achieved what In Flames was striving for. Of course, that doesn't mean it's good.
Probably the most disappointing aspect to this album is that they have gone over the top in trying to court the mainstream. Not only are all of the songs verse/chorus/verse/chorus, but instead of the riffs being the driving parts to the songs, the vocal melodies are. The only genres of music where the vocals are supposed to carry the song are R&B and adult contemporary. Even fans of Natural Born Chaos will be disappointed in this one, at least to some extent.
"One word review: Blah." The songs that are most accessible are the ones I find to be more successful, as they are less involved with producing this dichotomy of heft vs. melody. Instead, they just embrace the pop metal that they are, no excuses. They are admittedly very catchy, and follow you around long after the music has stopped, but it's still just the musical equivalent of junk food. One word review: Blah.
Death's Review:
In Flames, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity. These bands are the leaders of what is now known as the Gothenburg Sound, a sound that (in its current form) has become relatively popular with the mainstream, but polarizing within the underground. Personally, I'm still into the sound, and unlike so many of my friends and fellow Metal Judgment warriors, I actually liked the new In Flames. I fully understand people's complaint (how could anyone not? It's right there in your face) with ReRoute to Remain, and like them, I also hate the album for all the things that it's not, and for all of the "rock star" ambition it oozes. But - for entirely different reasons - many of those songs kinda stick with me, and overall I pretty much like the album. Not as a replacement for older, more metal work, but on its own.
"Catchy became sappy somewhere along the way." I pretty much feel the same way about this Soilwork album. Like In Flames, these songs have been crafted to expand into the realm of pop-metal. Catchy became sappy somewhere along the way. But, also like In Flames, these songs kinda rock, they stick in your head and they make you want to shout along. Some people will like the Soilwork approach to this sound better - the guitars are heavier and there is more reliance overall on the guitar riffs, and there are some almost-Zeppelin-esque moments. Overall, Soilwork comes off as more rock than pop here, but not by a ton. There is a bit of crunch.
Still, even with the word "five" in the title, there won't be a five skull score. I'm not gonna trash it, but let me be clear about something: lots of you are gonna hate this album; many people are going to trash it. I am going to give you another point of view to consider. If you are willing to overlook the commercialization of Soilwork (and if you are still with the band at this point you either have already dealt with the band's "development" with the Natural Born Chaos release or are a "new" fan and therefore like this approach or otherwise just don't give a fuck), then you will enjoy the opener (and rumored "first" video) "Rejection Role"; and if you are a Soilwork fan you'll definitely like the cool, Testament-esque title track, "Figure Number Five." My advice? Don't think too much. Enjoy the music.
"I think when Soilwork comes to town I'll be screaming along with a beer in my hand and loving it. But will you?" Sure, I like the killer, full-on metal take on Gothenburg heard on the last Dark Tranquillity album; Damage Done was one of my favorite albums of last year. I would absolutely love to hear In Flames or Soilwork focus all that talent on an intricate, passionate, full-on metallic assault. The results could be legendary. And the fact that they play this stuff in the face of so much potential is kind of offensive. But I can't shake the fact that I actually like the songs and can find a place for this record, at least for now, in my "now playing" rotation/listening palette. I can't say that about a lot of stuff that comes down the pike, and remember, I listen to and write about two new studio albums every week (and have done it for like 3 and half years now, so that's pretty obsessive). This stuff sounds good played at loud volumes coming out of my speakers. I like jamming it loud and driving fast. Fuck all the analysis, this is a fun record. And talk about fun - rumor has it In Flames and Soilwork are gonna hook up for a summer 2003 U.S. tour.
Anyway, this is a tough one for me to score. I'll go with what I expect will be the contrarian point of view, and give it a four instead of a three. I think when Soilwork comes to town I'll be screaming along with a beer in my hand and loving it. But will you? With discerning metalheads, the stupid fun factor doesn't always come into the equation. Bottom line? If you're under 25, you'll probably love it; if you're over 25, you'll probably think it's gay. With significant exceptions, of course.
Hel's Review:
Why do some bands feel the need to mark a recording milestone by incorporating the number into the name of the album? Yep, you've got it, this is the fifth label release from the band, and apparently our reason for the otherwise nonsensical notion of "figure number five." Before I go any further, I must air out another grievance, and this one I know I have definitely lodged before, but it always bears re-iterating when encountered. I can't stand excessive rhyming, and once again, Soilwork stands guilty of this crime. Certainly nothing here is quite as egregious as "Follow the Hollow" from the last disc, but there are still a number of painful moments.
"Chainheart Machine is a damn heavy album. Figure Number Five isn't even close to the league that record is in."
"The songwriting is simply too happy on these last records. And that infernal rhyming!" The production is wonderful, and adds to the accessibility of the record. And in keeping with this notion, once again, the melodic, clean passages and vocals are played up. I took a trip back and listened to Chainheart Machine just before writing this review, so I could get a sense if my feelings on their evolutionary decline were valid, and indeed, there were no clean vocal lines to speak of, and not much in the melodic interlude department either. Nope, Chainheart Machine is a damn heavy album. Figure Number Five isn't even close to the league that record is in. Instead, it is a continuation in same direction that Natural Born Chaos and A Predator's Portrait before that were already heading in.
So if you really, really hated Natural Born Chaos, you don't want to even hear this one. You'll either get very mad or very disappointed. Personally, I was disappointed in NBC, and this album further disappoints me. The songwriting is simply too happy on these last records. And that infernal rhyming! While they are still as musically able as ever, the band has just been increasingly losing their edge with every subsequent release. In retrospect, I have long felt like I was far too gentle and generous with NBC. So while the content of the album may not normally merit this kind of rating, I feel emotionally let down by the furtherance of their decline, and am taking it out through my score.
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